Pokemon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior: The Novelization
by manaphyseaangel101
Summary: When scientist Newton Graceland discovers a parallel universe known as the Reverse World, inhabited by the Pokémon Giratina, he plans to harness its power. Although Graceland abandons that idea, his evil assistant Zero plots to capture Giratina himself. In order to stop him, Graceland enlists Pokémon trainers Ash, Dawn, and Brock to keep Giratina out of Zero s clutches.
1. Chapter 1: Two Worlds Collide

Pokemon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior: The Novelization

By Alexandria Francetic

All rights and credit belong to The Pokemon Company, Nintendo, and Game Freak.

Chapter One: Two Worlds Collide

In the depths of a grassy, dew-covered field walled by trees, in the wee hours of the morning, a tiny Pokemon crouched in the shrubery, its back covered in verdant grass and tiny pink flowers. It was Shaymin, the Gratitude Pokemon. It took a step out of a hollowed tree trunk, skittering through the forest. Every crackle and snap made the little Pokemon jump. It flashed its gaze all around, apparently certain that something was out to get it.

It rushed out into a small clearing, speeding to the edge of a pond. Suddenly, the ground shook with a loud bang, and the tiny creature quickly lifted its head. Just on the other side of the water, a gigantic blue dragon- or dinosaur-like Pokemon stood on four legs, covered in bits of sparkling steel. Strange streaks ran across its huge body, and a blue diamond was embedded in its chest. It leaned down towards the lake, gazing at its crystal-clear reflection. It was Dialga, the Temporal Pokemon, or Sinnoh`s ruler of time.

Dialga`s red eyes widened as a swirling black vortex materialized in the water. Just under the surface, it caught a glimpse of a huge creature streaking by. It began to grow closer and closer to the edge, until the massive monster emerged from the hole, its body cloaked in purple light. It appeared to be changing physically, its serpentine tail splitting into six legs.

Dialga let out a roar as the monster clamped onto its neck, dragging the huge Pokemon down into the hole. Cold, powerful winds began to churn, and Shaymin watched from afar, its tiny body shivering. Pokemon felt a chilly gust of wind fly underneath it, and it was quickly swept into the air, screaming and thrashing its stubby legs.

It felt a hard smack, only to discover it had latched onto the fan spreading from Dialga`s back. It let out a piercing screech of terror. Dialga and the mystery Pokemon thrashed and bit at each other, slamming into one another as they were pulled deeper into the churning vortex below.

Meanwhile, somewhere, shrouded in darkness, a young man dressed in a full-body yellow suit, with flared-out, bushy white hair swept over one of his golden eyes sat cross-legged in a nearly pitch-black chamber, illuminated by only the dim glow of a hologram. The hologram of a short woman in a bizarre, circular dress.

"Giratina has captured Dialga and is returning to the Reverse World," the hologram said. "They won`t make it, Infi," the young man growled. "Find the next point of appearance." Infi nodded. "As you wish, Zero," she replied.

At the same time, Giratina dragged Dialga down into an enigmatic world, dotted with small grassy islands and floating orbs. It seemed to stretch on infinitely in all directions. Giratina`s body morphed back into its serpentine shape and slammed Dialga down into one of the islands, erupting a cloud of dust.

Shaymin held on for dear life onto Dialga`s fan, its little heart pounding. Dialga slammed into Giratina`s chest, shoving the giant Pokemon into the air and sending Shaymin flying down to another island below, the miniature Pokemon scrabbling to its feet.

A heavy breeze swept over Shaymin as Giratina streaked by, staring down Dialga. Out of nowhere, a huge cloud of misty purple smoke blew through, right into Shaymin`s face. It began coughing and hacking on the odd haze, until the pink flowers attached to it began to glow, swallowing up the layer of mist as the flowers turned a deep black.

Giratina soared above the islands and spit out a ball of flaming energy, sending it crashing down inches away from where Shaymin stood. The little Pokemon was flung off the hovering strip of land, and it screamed as Giratina appeared to be rushing right for it.

Shaymin squeezed its eyes shut, and its flowers started to glow, radiating with a bright light. The flash of light then exploded into a huge burst of energy, tearing open a hole in the strange dimension. Shaymin flailed around as it was sucked out of the portal, crashing into a river below.

Meanwhile, inside the darkened chamber, Zero`s eyes got huge. "What was that?" he gasped. "That was not the work of Giratina," Infi explained. An image of Shaymin squirming in the river flashed on-screen. "It appears that Shaymin created a portal." The image suddenly flashed back to Dialga and Giratina. "Dialga is entering the new opening," she explained.

Just before leaving, Dialga whirled around and spit a gaping beam of energy from its mouth, slamming into Giratina. The Pokemon reeled back, screeching out in pain as electricity pulsed over its body. With its chance sealed, Dialga rushed through the portal and soared off into the skies above, only to vanish. "Dialga has returned to the Real World and has disappeared," Infi piped up. "Now Giratina is approaching."

Giratina rushed towards the portal, but it suddenly stopped in its tracks, inches away from the hole. It was pushed back, and every time it flew back up, it smashed into some invisible wall and was sent back even further. The creature let out a roar of confusion.

"After coming into contact with Dialga, Giratina seems unable to leave the Reverse World," Infi said. "Time is now running in an infinite loop around Giratina." Zero`s bright eyes flashed. "A time loop," he muttered. "Dialga must`ve done something to Giratina."

Meanwhile, Shaymin was sent flying down the raging river, squirming and flailing as it was thrown over a small waterfall, battered by waves at every angle.

Afterwards, Ash Ketchum rushed up a flight of stairs, his Pikachu perched on his shoulder. "Finally, it`s lunchtime!" he cheered. Dawn and Brock stood at the top of the stairs with their Pokemon. "It`s all ready!" Brock announced.

Ash wasted no time taking a seat and grabbing a fork, reaching for a plate of pancakes. Brock stepped foward and stopped him. "Hold it! Did you wash your hands?" Ash smiled and held up his hands. "Yup, clean as a whistle!" he cheered. They weren`t. In fact, they were covered in some black stuff that came from God knows where.

"You should always wash your hands before you eat!" Dawn snapped, making an example by washing her own hands under a faucet. Ash shrugged. Since when are you my mother? he thought. "Pika..." Pikachu sighed.

Brock placed out bowls of Pokemon food, and the legion of creatures quickly rushed up and began chowing down. "Alright, now it`s our turn!" Ash cheered. He turned over to the table, but only a suprised gasp escaped his mouth. A filthy little Shaymin was perched on the picnic table, chomping down the plate of pancakes.

Pikachu eyed the creature curiously, and Piplup tried to pull a pancake out of Shaymin`s mouth. Shaymin shook its body, releasing a plume of dust. It bounced off Ash`s head and leapt down onto the small stove below, knocking to the ground with a clatter.

A huge puff of black smoke billowed out in Shaymin`s face, and Ash and his friends watched as the tiny Pokemon swallowed the smoke into its body, and its once-pink flowers turned black again. Its body began to glow, and it expelled a burst of energy, sweeping the team off their feet.

When the dust settled, Piplup was the first to react. It leapt off the table and fixed Shaymin with an icy gaze. The other Pokemon gathered around as well, glaring at the Pokemon with angry eyes. Dawn threw her arms up. "Everyone, stop!" she shouted. "The poor thing`s terrified!" She scooped up Shaymin and carried it in her arms, washing it over the spray of running faucet water.

She wrapped a towel around the Pokemon and said, "Okay, you`re all clean now."

"That felt really nice," Shaymin squeaked in a high-pitched, feminine voice. "Although it was a little chilly." Even though it spoke with perfect enounciation, its lips did not move once.

"What`s that?!" Dawn gasped. "It`s telepathy!" Brock shouted. Ash peeked over at the little creature. "Where`d ya come from?" he asked. Shaymin pointed over into the distance. "From over there," it replied. "It`s a little past here...then you head over there..."

Its voice seemed to be trailing off. "Is it okay?" Ash asked. Dawn rubbed her hand over Shaymin`s head, and the Pokemon felt like it was on fire.

"It`s burning up!" she gasped. "It has a fever! We`ve got to get it to the Pokemon Center!" Ash nodded. "Let`s hurry!" he shouted.

After what felt like an eternity, Shaymin peeled open its tired eyes to find itself in a Pokemon Center, lying on a gurney surrounded by flickering, humming screens and machines. "Where...where am I?" it croaked. "You`re in the Pokemon Center," Dawn explained.

Nurse Joy turned away from her computer screen and nodded. "That`s right," she said. "It`s the Gratitude Pokemon, Shaymin. It`s awfully tired, but everything`s just fine!"

Dawn leaned down and smiled at the little Pokemon. "Nurse Joy made you all better," she chirped. "Oh, please, I never need healing!" Shaymin scoffed. "But I`m hungry!"

Dawn turned and reached into her bag, pulling out a tiny treat that looked much like a cookie. "I made some Poffins, would you like one?" she asked in the nicest, most motherly voice she could muster. Shaymin`s eyes lit up. "Oh, thanks!" it cheered as it snatched up the Poffin in its mouth.

After a long pause, it continued, "Oh, well. It tastes okay." Ash leaned down and glared at the tiny Pokemon. "You`re not that grateful at-"

Before he could finish, Shaymin spit a puff of smoke in his face. He coughed on the coarse dust. His mind suddenly lit up. "Hey, I remember now!" he shouted. "It sucked up all the smoke from our stove and it exploded!"

Nurse Joy waggled her finger. "It`s a technique called 'Seed Flare,'" she explained. "The Shaymin will absorb polluted air and separate it into light and water in its body. Then it casts it out in a huge explosion. There was once a Shaymin who destroyed an entire forest with its Seed Flare! You`re lucky your stove wasn`t very toxic!"

Shaymin nodded. "I am pretty amazing," she chirped. "And now you all owe me a big thank you!"

"What?!" Ash yelled. "Seriously!?" Shaymin turned and glared at him. "You are going to take me to the Flower Garden, right?" The team stared at the creature in confusion. "Pika?" Pikachu muttered. "What Flower Garden?" Ash asked.

Nurse Joy smiled. "For the flower bearing, of course," she said. "Every year, Shaymin gather in a Flower Garden and take off into the sky. A new garden grows wherever they decide to stop."

"My friends are waiting for me!" Shaymin snapped, bouncing on Ash`s head. "Now, take me there!" Ash crossed his arms angrily. "I thought you could fly!" he shouted. "I can, but not now," Shaymin replied. "Now hurry up already!" Dawn stepped foward and petted the little Pokemon. "It`s okay, we`ll take you," she reassured it. Ash sighed. "Ugh, do we have to? Why do I have the feeling I`m not gonna like this?" 


	2. Chapter 2: Shaymins Voyage

Chapter Two: Shaymin`s Voyage

As the team stepped out of the sliding glass doors of the Pokemon Center, Ash piped up, "Alright, so which way do we go?" Shaymin pointed to the left. "That way!" it cheered. It paused and pointed to the right. "No, it`s this way!"

"Make up your mind!" Ash snapped.

Dawn put her hand up and cradled Shaymin in her arms. "Let me handle this," she said. "Okay...so which way?" Just then, a bundle of small pink flowers magically bloomed up from Shaymin`s back. "Wow!" Dawn gasped. "Just like a bouquet!"

Shaymin lifted its head and pointed right. "That way," it said. "Alright!" Dawn cheered, taking off down the street. "Leave it to us!" Ash and Brock ran up behind her. "Which way is that way?!" Ash growled.

The team rushed into a park, and they came to a stop. Shaymin leapt out of Dawn`s arms, and its body began to tremble. The flowers on its back vanished. "Oh, no!" it shrieked. "It`s here!" The Pokemon skittered off into the grass, and the others quickly followed, stepping in front of an odd decoration or lawn fixture in the shape of a diamond. Their reflections bounced off its surface like a mirror.

"What`s here?" Ash asked. The team stood there in nervous silence, until something streaked by the mirror, and a massive hole ripped open. A strong wind began to swirl. A powerful, invisible force dragged the Trainers closer and closer to the vortex. "What the heck is going on?!" Ash shouted.

With one hard tug, Ash and Dawn slipped and crashed down hard, dragged straight into the portal until it vanished. Brock was left behind, staring stupidly at the mirror. "Ash?!" he yelled. "Dawn!? But...but how?!"

Meanwhile, Ash and Dawn materialized into the air, slowly drifting down to a jagged island under their feet. Surrounding them was an infinite stretch of darkness, the skies dotted with floating crystalline orbs, odd-shaped stretches of land that seemed to climb into the sky, tall, skinny trees that appeared to be made of kelp, and even upside-down buildings merging with each other at their edges.

Their hearts pounded hard as their eyes struggled to take it all in. "What is this place?" Ash asked. A gust of wind blew over them as a massive creature streaked by. Ash and Dawn took a quick step back. Giratina hung over them, its six black tentacles waving in a slight breeze. "Is that a Pokemon?!" Dawn gasped.

Shaymin`s eyes grew huge as it was clutched in Dawn`s arms, staring at the massive Pokemon. Giratina roared and dove down towards the team, flashing by at blinding speeds. "It`s going to eat me!" Shaymin screeched. "Move it, now!"

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded. Pikachu nodded and let loose a blast of crackling electricity, but it blew right past Giratina. It vanished into thin air. "Over there!" Dawn shouted. Ash and Pikachu spun around, and Giratina reared back, a blue ball of flame boiling in its throat. It spit out the blast of searing fire at the team, the heat growing with every second.

Just then, a red blur streaked by and a Shieldon leapt out of nowhere, spitting out a crackling ice beam. The two bursts of energy collided with each other and exploded into a shower of blue sparks.

Ash and Dawn whirled around, and an older-looking man with ruffled brown hair stood before them. He wore a tattered red shirt and brown shorts, and a huge metallic backpack was slung over his shoulders. "Stop it, all of you!" he shouted. "Don`t upset Giratina!" He gestured to a tunnel. "This way!"

The pair followed him down into the corridor, which was narrow, cramped, and dimly lit with amber light. It felt like they were running through water. "It`s...so hard...to run!" Ash panted. The group spotted a small point of light at the end of the tunnel, and when they rushed through, it was like a weight was lifted off of them.

They skidded to a stop, and Piplup almost tripped down a flight of stairs. "Whoa, watch it!" the old guy warned. He took a deep sigh of relief. "Looks like everyone made it out alright. And we escaped Giratina too." Ash`s heart rate finally started to slow down. "Thanks for rescuing us," he said. "I`m Ash, and this is Dawn."

Dawn smiled awkwardly. "And you are?" The old guy got a huge smile. "I`m Newton Graceland," he announced. "I`m researching the Reverse World, and just so ya know, I`m a genius." Ash rolled his eyes. "I wonder how he really feels," he said. "Definitely a weirdo," Shaymin piped up.

Dawn shook her head. "Umm, what exactly is the Reverse World?" she asked. Newton lead them down a long corridor, walled off by panes of glass. Outside, floating islands and upside-down houses merging with each other stretched on into the distance.

"The Reverse World...it`s an alternate dimension located on the exact opposite of the Real World," Newton explained. "The two worlds never intersect," he continued. "This place is a distorted, rule-breaking world where the gravity can get stronger or weaker depending on where you are. Only Giratina has the power to travel between the two worlds, and it`s the only Pokemon living here. You could say it`s the master of the Reverse World."

Shaymin turned away and scoffed. "Well, I don`t like it," it hissed. "It tried to eat me." Newton tugged at his shirt collar. "Hmm, I wonder why?" Shaymin gasped. "I have to get to the Flower Garden right away!"

"Then there`s not a moment to lose," Newton chimed in. He turned to face to exit of the twisting, narrow tunnel. "Follow me!"

He nodded to a tiny, dim point of light at the end of the tunnel, leading the team outside, into the maze of floating islands. The air seemed to grow colder out here. Ash pointed out at a billowing cloud of purple haze creeping toward him. "What`s that?" he asked.

"You see," Newton explained, "when there are imbalances in the Real World, these clouds appear and corrects them. It`s a bit like a counterbalance."

Piplup stepped into the cloud and began coughing, its lungs burning from the smoke. Newton`s eyes widened. "Don`t breathe that in, it`s poisonous!" he snapped. Pikachu nodded and started fanning away the haze with its tail, pushing it aside as the team stepped through, walking across a twisted cobblestone street hovering above the seemingly endless abyss below.

"Those black clouds keep the balance of time-space from breaking down," Newton explained. "They`re like regulators. As for time and space...one day the dimensions collided and melded together, resulting in a massive battle between Dialga, the Temporal Pokemon, and Palkia, the Spatial Pokemon."

Memories snapped in Dawn`s mind. "That was at Alamos Town!" she recalled. Newton nodded. "Time and space were distorted, and as a result, the Reverse World was overflowing with these black clouds. Giratina was furious at the desecration of its home, so it traveled to the Real World to capture Dialga, but when it did, Shaymin`s Seed Flare allowed Dialga to escape. I was watching the whole thing when it happened. Dialga trapped Giratina in a time loop, so now it can`t leave this world." Ash hung his head a little. "So that`s why it`s so angry at Shaymin."

"Really, really angry," Shaymin added. "It`ll be okay," Dawn said, giving the little Pokemon a soft squeeze. The pink flowers on its back instantly burst into bloom.

Ash and Dawn paused, and they turned to look at a glassy orb hovering in the air. The confused, wandering reflection of Brock in the park shined inside it. "Hey, it`s Brock!" Ash shouted. "He`s still back there!"

He reached out to touch it, but quickly jolted back once Newton gripped his arm. "Don`t touch that!" he warned. "If you destroy something here, it has a big effect on the Real World. Any changes in those bubbles are reflected in that world. Now come on, the exit`s straight ahead!"

As Newton took the lead, Ash and Dawn exchanged glances, wondering if following this guy was a good idea, but they went along anyway. Suddenly, a loud whoosh swept over them, and the team shot their heads up. Giratina was soaring overhead, rushing down faster with every second.

Shaymin squirmed out of Dawn`s arms and latched onto Ash`s head. "Let`s run, now!" it squealed. Ash grunted and took off, racing across the gossamer landscape with a Giratina at his back. He could see the giant Pokemon getting closer out of the corners of his eyes, the creature`s jaws wide open.

Ash gasped as his hat blew off with a screaming Shaymin attached. Ash felt his foot slam on something hard, and gravity took over. He crashed to his knees. The hat fluttered down in front of him, completely empty. His stomach turned to lead.

He crawled to his feet and spun around, only to see a blank-looking Shaymin clutched in Giratina`s golden jaws. "Oh, no!" he shouted. "Shaymin!" Just then, there was a scuffling sound on the ground, and Ash`s hat began to quiver as if it were alive.

The team gasped as Shaymin peeked its head out, its face flushed with anger. "You people need to get on the ball!" it snapped. An exhausted breath left Dawn as she took the tiny Pokemon in her arms. "Thank goodness!"

Newton glanced back up at Giratina. A Shaymin was still locked tight in its grip, that was, until it faded into a shower of sparkles. "A Substitute!" he exclaimed. "I`m impressed!" Giratina let out a screech, hovering higher into the air and circling the area.

"Giratina`s confused, now`s our chance!" Newton shouted. "Let`s go!" The team rushed farther down the floating street, and Newton finally skidded to a stop. He pointed at a swirling black vortex at the end, seeming to tear into reality.

"You can get back home through here," he said. "And listen, okay? Be careful of mirrors. Giratina can see into the Real World through them."

"Thanks, Newton!" Dawn cheered as she, Piplup, and Shaymin leapt through the portal, vanishing to the other side. Ash looked up at the scientist. "What about you?" he asked. "I still have things to do here," Newton replied. "Now go before the portal disappears!"

He gripped Ash`s shoulders and gave him a hard push, shoving him into the vortex. For a split-second, Ash felt like he was floating, and he was blinded by a flash of light. The Real World of trees and houses and blue skies flashed back into view. He was sitting in the grass with Dawn, Shaymin, Piplup, and Pikachu. He took a huge sigh.

Brock then ran up. "Guys, you`re alright! Where`d you all go?" Ash was so filled with excitement he could barely speak. "The Reverse World..." he panted. "We met this guy named Newton...he stayed behind." He finally began to regain his composure. "He said to be careful of mirrors."

He looked back at the mirror-like object in front of him and shouted, "This place is dangerous! Let`s get out of here!" Ash took off, and the others soon followed. "You wanna explain here?!" Brock snapped.

Meanwhile, deep inside a dark chamber, Zero glared at a hologram screen, eyeing the Shaymin clutched in Dawn`s arms. "I see," he growled. "So that`s how it is. Giratina is after Shaymin." His chair swiveled around, and he stood up to his full height, clenching his fists. "I can use this," he hissed.

Back in the park, Ash, Dawn, and Brock were sitting at a bench, and Ash was explaining the situation to Brock. He seemed to feel a little left out. "So there was a Giratina in the Reverse World?" Brock asked. Dawn nodded. "Yeah, it was really dangerous."

Ash bent down and glared at Shaymin. "This is all your fault!" he snapped. "If it wasn`t for you, we wouldn`t be in this mess!" Shaymin sniffed and turned away. "Yeah, right! Thanks to me you`re all safe! Now take me to the Flower Garden!" Suddenly, the air emanated with a loud humming or buzzing sound. Ash`s hair stood on end. "What now?" he asked. A horde of Magnemite descended from the sky, encircling the team in a spiral or funnel shape. The sound of their buzzing was almost deafening.

The three glanced up, and a giant Magnezone whooshed down, followed by Zero. He was standing on some kind of metallic, segway-like hoverboard.

"Who are you?!" Ash snapped. "I don`t know him!" Shaymin hissed. "Well, he`s obviously not a Trainer," Brock added. A wide smile stretched across Zero`s face as he gazed down at them. "I`ll take that Shaymin off your hands," he snickered. Shaymin shivered like a leaf, pouncing on Ash`s head. "He must want to eat me too!" it shrieked. Brock chuckled a little. "Umm, I don`t think that`s what he wants," he reassured the Pokemon.

Zero gritted his teeth. "It seems you don`t want to cooperate," he hissed. "I`ll change your mind for you! Magnezone, Mirror Shot!" Magnezone nodded and unleashed a gaping beam of energy from its one glaring red eye. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash snapped.

Pikachu leapt foward and loosed a crackling bolt of electricity. The two attacks collided, bursting into a hot explosion. The army of Magnemite surrounding the heroes grew closer and closer. "Piplup, Whirlpool!" Dawn commanded. "Pip!" Piplup chirped. A churning whirlpool emerged from the Pokemon`s tiny beak. It launched the whirlpool like a rocket, swallowing up every Magnemite in sight.

"Now`s our chance!" Ash shouted. He and the others took off into the village, racing through the narrow streets. "After them!" Zero`s voice called out. The legion of Magnemite appeared again, roaring through the town after the team. "Oh, crap!" Dawn yelled.

Brock pointed out at a train up ahead, screeching to a stop into the station. "Over there!" He rushed over to the pay booth, forking over a handful of cash to the attendant. "Three tickets to anywhere, hurry!" he snapped. He grabbed the tickets from the attendant and dragged Ash and Dawn along, to an open door on one of the train cars.

The three leapt on and slid the door shut with a slam, enclosing the trio in silence. Ash peeked out the window and took a sigh of relief to see no Magnemite following them. "They`re gone," he said.

The roar of the engine echoed out as the train started to move. Dawn grabbed Shaymin and went off for the seats, while Ash and Brock just kept staring outside. Walls of tall, verdant trees and jagged rock peaks flew past them. "Well, I`m glad we made it on this train," Brock said, "but where are we going?" 


	3. Chapter 3: Battle Against Giratina

Chapter Three: Battle Against Giratina

Ash and Brock turned around and made their way down to the seating area, where Dawn was sitting with Shaymin on her lap, surrounded by a small group of other people, peering and gawking at the tiny Pokemon in awe.

One man piped up, "You know, when I was a kid, I used to hike in the mountains, and once I even saw the Shaymins` Flower Bearing!" Everyone gasped in amazement.

A pink-haired lady sitting next to Dawn glanced over and asked, "Can I hold Shaymin?" Dawn nodded and handed over the little Pokemon. The woman cradled it gently in her arms. "Aww, it`s so cute!" she chirped. Shaymin snuggled up to her, and its back burst into blooming pink flowers. The crowd erupted into a storm of excited gasps.

A young man took out a basket of pink flowers and held it in front of Shaymin, comparing the two side by side. "They`re like twins," he said. Dawn blinked oddly at the flower basket and asked, "What kind of flowers are those anyway?"

"Gracidea flowers," the pink-haired lady replied. "They`re a gift for our great-grandmother`s hundredth birthday."

"That`s right," a fat, stocky woman chimed in. "Here in Sinnoh, we send baskets of Gracidea flowers to show our gratitude because they look just like Shaymin, the Gratitude Pokemon." Shaymin inched foward a little and sniffed the flowers. A odd, tingling sensation crept up inside the Pokemon, and its body started to shine with a bright light, illuminating the entire train car. In a final flash, the light faded, revealing an entirely new Pokemon.

It looked much like a tiny dog or reindeer, with a pair of white antlers, a green mowhawk, and a leafy red scarf jutting from the back of its neck. Shaymin let out a sharp giggle and leapt into the air, prancing through the train car. Everyone cheered and gaped in awe.

"That`s Shaymin`s Sky Form," the man with the Gracidea flowers explained. "It changes into this form when it comes into contact with Gracidea pollen."

Ash`s eyes were busy following the soaring Shaymin around until he finally piped up, "So, is this part of the Flower Bearing?" The fat lady nodded. "The Shaymin gather at a garden of Gracidea flowers, where they change form and take off into the sky. The garden`s a little beyond this railroad line. You`ll have to transfer to a boat at the next station, and once you get off, the Gracidea garden should be right around there."

Shaymin floated down and perched itself on one of the seats. "I have to get there right away!" it cheered. "The flowers are about to bloom, and my friends are waiting for me there!" Dawn`s eyes lit up. "I want to see the Flower Bearing!" Ash nodded. "Me too!" Shaymin confidently puffed out its chest. "I will show you," it replied.

Brock, on the other hand, was too busy staring out the window. "Uhh, I think we have bigger problems," he said. The others turned to look, and they gaped at the sight of a Magnezone and an army of Magnemite glaring at them through the panes of glass.

There was a loud shattering sound as the Magnemite slammed through the windows, smashing them to bits. They bombarded the team with a cacophony of deafening buzzing. The crowd of people gasped and screamed, pushing themselves down to the floor. "They`re after Shaymin!" Ash snapped.

Shaymin flashed a glare at the legion of Electric Pokemon. "They can try!" it hissed. It jumped into the air and soared over the army of Magnemite, slamming them into each other with a cacophony of loud metallic clangs. Shaymin opened its mouth wide and spit a gaping ball of crackling energy, smashing the Pokemon to the ground.

Pikachu jumped up and smacked away a bunch with a hard Iron Tail, and Piplup washed the rest of them away with Whirlpool, tossing them out of the shattered windows. "Alright!" Ash cheered. "Not yet!" Dawn shouted. "Look!"

The team spun around, and an angry Magnezone was shoving its way in through a broken window, bending the metal frame with every push. "Crap, it`s Magnezone!" Ash shouted. "Everyone, attack together!" Pikachu, Shaymin, and Piplup nodded. Pikachu loosed a Thunderbolt, Shaymin fired off an Energy Ball, and Piplup used Bubble Beam, spitting out a stream of bubbles. The three attacks assailed the huge UFO-shaped Pokemon, knocking it free of the window frame as the train sped down a tunnel.

The group of civilians rose up from the ground and took deep sighs of relief. "You guys did it," the fat lady said. "They`re all gone. I wonder why they wanted Shaymin anyway?"

"It doesn`t matter," Shaymin cheered in triumph, puffing out its chest. "You can all thank me!" Ash scratched the back of his neck. "I see you haven`t changed a bit," he chuckled.

Meanwhile, somewhere else, a pair of transparent, glass-like elevator doors slid open, and Zero stepped out into a long, dark hallway. The walls were lined with holograms of Infi. They all bowed down to greet him. "Welcome back," Infi announced. Zero`s footsteps shuffled across the steel-grate floor. "What about Giratina?" he asked. "It surfaced once," Infi replied. Zero snickered to himself. "Just as I thought...Infi, calculate where Giratina will surface next!"

"As you wish, Zero," Infi answered loyally.

At the same time, Ash, Dawn, and Brock were standing on the dock of a boat, waving down to the group of travelers below. "See you later!" Ash cheered. "Take care!" Dawn called. She turned to look out at the narrow, twisting waterway ahead, walled off by towering, sheer rock faces. "Brock, isn`t this a part of the sea?" she asked.

Brock pulled out a map and pointed to an image of a massive sheet of ice. "Well, actually, a glacier eroded at these mountains millions of years ago and created this valley. They say there`s a glacier deep in the flower garden as well." "It looks cold!" Dawn chimed in, hugging her sides in mock shivers.

Piplup, Shaymin, and Pikachu peered out at the water, gazing at the towering mountains. Shaymin giggled and leapt off the deck, soaring into the chilly morning air. Ash smiled and tossed a Poke Ball. "Go, Staravia!" A Staravia burst free from the Poke Ball in a flash of light. The bird Pokemon stretched out its wings, and Pikachu jumped on its back.

Staravia chirped and took off, carrying Pikachu high into the sky as it flew alongside Shaymin. Piplup bounced off the guardrail and crashed into the river below, leaping and bounding through the water. Shaymin spotted a wall of water crashing over a cliff, a sparkling rainbow arching over its misty spray. The Pokemon soared into the waterfall.

The team gawked in awe at the spectacle. Suddenly, Shaymin came roaring out of the waterfall, drenching Ash with a spray of icy water. He jolted back and growled, his clothes completely soaked. "Hey!" he shouted, watching Staravia and Shaymin spiraling through the sky.

Dawn had a huge smile on her face. "Shaymin`s having so much fun!" she cheered. Even Ash had to smile a bit as he glanced at the Pokemon while wringing out his soaking hat, his hair matted and dripping. "Well, I guess we don`t have much time left together," he sighed. "And you know what? I`ll be happy when Shaymin leaves! Good riddence!"

Dawn`s face morphed into a scowl, and she kicked Ash hard in the ankle. He yelled out in agony as a jolt of pain shot up his leg. "What was that for?!" he snapped. Dawn turned away and huffed at him. "Jerk," she hissed.

The trip went on for hours, and the trio didn`t do much the whole day other than bicker, tell jokes, and look out at the scenery. Finally, the sun began to set, giving the entire area an eerie reddish glow. "Hey, what`s that?" Brock asked, pointing out at the river. A shimmering, swirling vortex churned in the water. It flashed with a dark tint.

Ash`s face broke into sweat. "That`s the same thing we got sucked into before!" The three stood in silence along with Shaymin and their Pokemon, staring at the portal for a while.

Just then, a huge funnel of air blasted out at them. An invisible force dragged them closer and closer to the vortex, and they screamed. Ash banged his shin painfully on the railing as he flew off the edge and was swallowed up by the sinister black portal, while Dawn, Brock, and the others weren`t far behind, vanishing into the dimensional hole.

After the team disappeared, Zero floated over on his hoverboard, surrounded by his army of Magnemite. He gazed into the black hole and sneered, "So, here it is. The entrance to the Reverse World! He nodded to his Pokemon legion. Let`s go!" He reared back and charged foward with his Pokemon, soaring down and vanishing into the churning vortex below.

Ash and his friends flashed open their eyes, only to be surrounded by the same infinite forest of floating islands and hovering orbs they had met just a day ago. Even the Reverse World seemed to be in sunset as well, the area drenched by a reddish, tinted light. Brock gasped out in shock. "So this is the Reverse World!" he gaped.

A gust of wind howled by, and the massive image of Giratina blurred past them. The giant Pokemon glared at them with an angry look. "It`s Giratina!" Ash shouted. Shaymin`s eyes narrowed, and energy brimmed through its body. It soared up to eye level with Giratina and snapped, "Giratina, I challenge you!"

A crackling Energy Ball welled up in Shaymin`s throat, ready to launch itself at Giratina. Suddenly, the giant Pokemon let out a screech and flew at Shaymin, its jaws wide open.

Ash`s eyes widened, and he glanced over at Pikachu riding on Staravia`s back. "Pikachu!" he shouted. "Thunderbolt!"

"Pika!" Pikachu confirmed. The little yellow Pokemon shot out a sizzling beam of electricity, zapping Giratina and allowing Shaymin to fly off before any harm could come to it. "Thanks!" Shaymin called, smiling wide.

Its smile quickly vanished as the skies went dark, and Shaymin`s body began to shine with bright golden light. It felt like it was being compressed, shrinking back to a simpler form.

The light faded, and Shaymin`s bright green eyes flashed with fear. It reverted back to its tiny, normal form. It plummeted down to the sea of hovering islands below.

Ash rushed out with his arms outstretched, ready to catch the little Pokemon, but his head felt like it was hit by a hammer as Shaymin crashed down on his hat. "Oww," he moaned. "What happened to all your strength?"

Shaymin was shaking perpetually. "I left it back in the sky," it chirped. "I`m not so good at night."

"I guess it can only stay in Sky Form during the day," Brock commented.

Giratina roared and flashed by, spitting a gaping ball of billowing blue flame. It crashed down only a few feet away from Ash and the others. Staravia and Pikachu descended from the dark skies, following the team as they took off, racing down a rocky path that seemed to lay parallel to a mountain dotted with trees.

Giratina trailed right behind them. "Can`t you go any faster?!" Shaymin snapped, latching onto Ash`s head. "Why are you always on ME when we`re running!?" Ash hissed. "So then we`ll be eaten together!" Shaymin shrieked. Ash`s face fell. Oh, real funny, he thought.

"Over here, Ash!" a familiar voice suddenly called. Ash and the others whirled around to see Newton Graceland standing at the entrance of a tunnel...upside-down. It looked as if his feet were glued to the ceiling. Ash gasped. He turned to Dawn and Brock. "Come on!"

They ran down into the tunnel, and they seemed to travel upwards as they went, until they too were walking on the ceiling of the cave. The inside glowed with a strange green radiance. Newton led the way foward. "Giratina`s still out there," he said. "You`ll be safe here." Dawn sighed. "Safe," she repeated. "One of my favorite words."

As they went on, the cave corkscrewed down, taking the team lower and lower until they found themselves standing upright again. "So, how`d you guys get here back here?" Newton asked. Ash sighed. "Uhh, it`s a long story."

Staravia flew by, and he pulled out his Poke Ball. "Staravia, return!" he called. A red beam of light shot out from the ball, encircling the bird Pokemon as it materialized into a ray of light itself and was pulled into the ball. Pikachu leapt off and greeted the others. "Pika!" it cheered.

The caves fell into an eerie silence. A strange buzzing noise echoed in the distance. "Hey, you hear that?" Ash asked. As soon as the words left his mouth, a pair of Magnemite flew down the tunnel, latching Shaymin inbetween their magnets and dragging it off. Shaymin gasped with endless shudders.

"Shaymin!" Ash yelled. He and the others ran off after the Magnemite, the duo of Pokemon silhouetted by a light shining at the end of the tunnel. Once they stepped outside, a strange static filled the air.

An army of Magnemite swarmed through the Reverse World, and standing right in the middle of the chaos was none other than Zero. "You again?!" Dawn hissed.

Zero`s bright eyes flashed greedily. "You`re all too late," he sneered. "Shaymin is mine!"

"Hey!" Shaymin screeched, flailing in the Magnemites` grasp. "Hurry up and do something! He`s probably going to eat me!" Zero snickered and glanced down at Newton. "I see it`s been a long time, Dr. Newton Graceland," he hissed. The swarm of Magnemite dropped on the heroes, locking them in their magnetic grip. Ash`s mind was filled with confusion. "Wait, you know this guy?"

Newton thrashed around and snapped, "Of course! Zero was my assistant! But what is he doing here?" Zero`s sneer quickly turned into a scowl. "You know why," he hissed. "To make this wonderful world mine!"

"But you can`t do that!" Newton shouted. "This is a vital place that keeps the Real World in balance!" Zero`s hands curled into fists. "Oh, really? Well, that sure isn`t keeping you from having it all to yourself!"

He jabbed his finger out at a billowing cloud of purple smoke. "See that toxic cloud?! This is a beautiful place, but people just keep polluting it! I`ll think I`ll be rid of you all now!"

The legion of Magnemite began swarming around the cloud of haze, funneling it right into the heroes` faces. Their lungs burned as they coughed and hacked on the toxic gas. Zero nodded to the pair of Magnemite carrying Shaymin. "Go ahead."

The Pokemon rushed Shaymin right into the billowing cloud, holding the little Pokemon right in front of Dawn. Shaymin`s eyes watered with tears, watching Dawn`s pain. Shaymin curled up its body, sucking streams of smoke into it. The layer of purple haze quickly began to shrink until it vanished completely, and Shaymin`s once-pink flowers turned a deep black.

Zero sneered at them. "Perfect! Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention that I finished your invention for you, Newton!"

"This is not good," Newton said. "He`s going to force Shaymin to use Seed Flare and tear open a hole back to the Real World!"

Giratina roared by, ripping past the swarms of Magnemite and aiming right for Shaymin. The little Pokemon squirmed and wrenched in the Magnemites` grip. "I don`t want to be eaten!" it shrieked. Tingles rippled through its body as it shined with a blinding light, unleashing a booming, violent explosion.

When the light dissapated, a swirling black vortex ripped open in the air, sucking up everything in sight with a funnel of air. Shaymin, Ash, Dawn, Brock, Newton, and their Pokemon, along with the army of Magnemite were swallowed up into the portal, momentarily blinded by a flash of light.

Zero, still watching them on his hoverboard, glanced over at Giratina. "Now, Giratina!" he shouted. "Realize your dream and travel back to Real World!" Giratina let out a roar and soared up through the portal, its body becoming drenched in purple light.

Meanwhile, the team popped out on the other side of the vortex, crashing down in a grassy field walled off by stretches of mountains and forests. They staggered to their feet. "We must be on the glacier," Brock moaned.

Dawn knelt down to Shaymin, who was shivering uncontrollably in the grass. "Shaymin, you okay?" she asked as she took the little Pokemon into her arms. "Not really," it replied. "I thought I was gonna get eaten."

The air suddenly grew cold, and the team turned around to see Giratina`s huge, glowing body emerging from the portal, its body morphing and changing as its serpentine body split into six stubby legs. Two huge, frayed black wings spread from its back as it met the ground with a loud slam.

"Shaymin, Giratina wasn`t trying to eat you," Newton piped up. "It was just trying to get you to use Seed Flare so it could go back to the Real World."

"Hey, why`d it change form?" Ash chimed in, pointing at the new Giratina. "Probably has something to do with the change in gravity," Newton replied.

Zero emerged from the portal, smiling evilly at Giratina. Suddenly, a massive beam of red light crashed down on Giratina, enveloping it in a ball of crackling energy. Bars of a steel cage floated out from the foggy distance, locking Giratina in its grip.

The team gasped. "What`s happening?!" Dawn shouted. Giratina screeched and writhed in pain, suspended in the ball of light. It was dragged higher and higher into the dark, early morning sky.

Zero landed his hoverboard, skidding it across the ground. He leapt off and dashed across the grass, his heart pounding with excitement. Magnezone flew down, and he jumped on its back, latching onto the Pokemon as it carried him up to eye level with the struggling Giratina.

He stood up and glared at the squirming Pokemon. He seemed to be enjoying its pain. "Giratina," he sneered, "I`ve been waiting such a long time for you to be here!"

Down below, the heroes gaped in terror at the gruesome spectacle. Newton clenched his teeth hard. "How could this have happened?!" Ash then pointed out into the fog. "What in the heck is that thing!?" he yelled.

Out of the mists ahead, a massive black form swam into view. Long, sharp metal antennas and arms poked out from the great white, soon revealing a gigantic, star-shaped steel monstrosity. It fired out long, crackling red beams of energy, latching around Giratina`s cage and dragging it inside the ship`s hollow center.

Newton gasped in horror. "It...it can`t be!" he shouted. "That thing...it`s the Megarig!" 


	4. Chapter 4: Zeros True Ambitions

Chapter Four: Zero`s True Ambitions

Newton and the kids glared at the Megarig, watching as it hovered over the forest. Giratina thrashed and screeched in the cage locked in the center of the alien ship. Newton swallowed hard. "I designed that thing," he sighed, hanging his head in shame. Ash`s eyes grew huge. "Are you serious?"

The scientist nodded. "I wanted to capture Giratina`s powers so I could move in and out of the Reverse World at will. But when I discovered Giratina would be destroyed in the process, I terminated the project, and I eliminated all of the blueprints. I remember Zero being so upset, but I wouldn`t do something like that to Giratina. Even though I destroyed the plans, Zero must`ve remembered them all!"

He took a deep sigh. "That thing is draining Giratina`s energy. If it isn`t stopped soon, Giratina will be no more." The trio gasped in shock. Newton whirled around and made a mad dash for the hoverboard Zero left behind. "I won`t let Giratina die because of my mistake!" Ash clenched his fist. "We`ll come with you!" he shouted.

He and Dawn joined Newton on the hovercraft with Pikachu and Piplup. "Wait!" Brock shouted. He pointed out into the distance. "Look over there!" The others followed his indication, only to be struck with wonder as a sprawling field of pink flowers spread out over the grass. "This must be the Gracidea Flower Garden!"

Shaymin skittered across the grass and crawled into the flowers, kicking up a plume of sparkling yellow dust. When it settled onto Shaymin, the same tingling sensation returned as the little Pokemon`s body began to change and morph. The light burst away, revealing Sky Form Shaymin once again.

"I`ll go on ahead," it huffed defiantly. "We`ll all save Giratina!" Shaymin pranced over the field, soaring up into the sky and locking eyes with the massive Megarig. Ash nodded numbly, gripping the handles of Zero`s hovercraft. "Alright, let`s go!" he called. A whoosh of wind roared in the heroes ears as they took off, eyeing the metallic monster floating above the mountain range.

Meanwhile, Zero stood up on one of the Megarig`s long metal platforms, glaring evilly at the thrashing Giratina in front of him. A hologram of Infi appeared beside him. "Giratina has returned to its original form," she droned on. "Movement to and from the Reverse World is now possible."

Zero was overjoyed. "The time loop has shattered! Infi, commence the scanning process!" Infi nodded. "Understood, master." A wicked smile stretched across Zero`s face. "Soon all of the Reverse World will be mine," he snickered. "Then I will rule like a king!"

His eyes scanned over to the hovercraft darting across the sky, inching closer to his mechanical monstrosity. His heart pounded hard in his chest. He jabbed a finger at Magnezone and hissed, "Take care of them, you!" Magnezone let out a loud buzz in reply and took off, unleashing a searing beam of crackling blue energy from the antenna on its head.

Shaymin rushed past, veering past the energy beam and spitting an Energy Ball right in its one red eye. Zero eyed the aerial battle below as his army of Magnemite soared by like soldiers on a battlefield. He clenched his teeth and hissed, "Infi, prepare to enter the Reverse World!" Infi gave him a loyal bow. "As you wish."

Zero turned and strode back to his ship. A pair of hydraulic doors shot open with a whirr, revealing a long, dark hallway. He vanished inside as the doors slammed shut behind him.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash snapped. Pikachu glared at the electric cage confining the writhing Giratina and let out a burst of electricity, but once it got close to the capsule, the energy faded. Invisible waves rippled off the air, as if a stone was dropped in water.

Newton growled and turned back to the Megarig. "It`s protected by some kind of barrier!" he shouted. "I`ve gotta get in there and stop this myself!" Ash and Dawn pondered how exactly he would do that, but they both knew now wasn`t a good time for questions. They weaved through a swarm of Magnemite, dodging sizzling bolts of electricity.

The hovercraft swooped down on the Megarig and skidded across its steel surface with a loud scraping sound. Sparks flew off into the chilly air as it slowed to a halt.

The three leapt off, and Ash and Dawn ordered their Pokemon to attack the storms of Magnemite flying at them. Ash locked eyes with Newton and shouted, "We`ll take care of these guys! You just go on and stop Zero!" Newton nodded and pulled out a Poke Ball. He tossed it in the air, and a Shieldon burst free in a flash of light. "Use Flash Cannon!" he commanded, pointing to a steel wall. Shieldon let out a small screech and spit a gaping beam of energy from its wide-open mouth.

A plume of smoke erupted, and once it settled, a huge, jagged hole had been punched through the metal. Newton took off down the long hallway ahead. Shieldon scampered up behind him. The whole place was dark, cold, and seemingly alien. The walls gave off an eerie reddish glow. Newton rushed through the corridors, speeding around the corners of the maze of hallways.

He raced into a wide, dark chamber, and the air felt different. Colder and more threatening, as if the walls would close in on him at any time. He spotted an odd, intricate computer system and plopped down on the chair in front of it, his heart pounding and chest heaving. The glow from the screens seemed to be the only light in the small chamber.

An image of Zero flashed on-screen. "You`re too late," he sneered. "But, I invite you to sit back and watch as my brilliant plan becomes reality!" The image flickered off and displayed a screen with a red outline of Giratina. Right beside it was an icon that clearly read sixty-nine percent, and it was climbing every second.

Newton gritted his teeth and clicked a button on his metal backpack. A series of snakelike metal arms popped out and began tapping the keys below as Newton danced his fingers across the keyboard as well. "I guess Zero forgot that I`m the one who designed this," he growled. Finally, the tapping frenzy ended, and a single key flashed blue right in the middle. "Alright, how do you like this?!" Newton snapped, slamming down on the button.

As soon as he touched it, the life faded from every electronic device surrounding him. Even the dim lights flicked off. Back outside, as Ash, Dawn, and Shaymin were busy battling the Magnemite swarms, the roaring engines of the Megarig fell silent. The fighting quickly died down, and the heroes went quiet as well.

They glanced around, and the spinning blades of the ship`s motors slowed to a crawl. The crimson, crackling electricity around Giratina dissapated, and the metal bars surrounding the huge Pokemon crashed down with a cacophony of clangs. Giratina dropped down limply from the cage, plummeting down to a lake below.

Ash`s eyes lit up. Newton did it, he thought. Frantic footsteps clomped behind him as Newton emerged from the ship, panting with exhaustion. Sweat pooled up on his forehead. "Uhh, I have to apologize," he chuckled nervously. "To shut down the system, I had to turn off the engines too. So, in other words, this thing is going down!"

"What?!" Ash and Dawn snapped in unison. Suddenly, the ship lurched violently, and it quickly fell down to the forest below. "We`ve gotta go!" Newton shouted.

The trio climbed onto Zero`s hovercraft, clamping hard on the machine as it took off. Shaymin darted down from the sky and flew alongside them. "You`re all okay!" the Pokemon cheered.

As the Megarig dropped to its doom, a indescribable black blur flashed out of its center and crashed down into the lake, vanishing under its azure waves. The gargantuan metal monster collided with the forest, skidding across the ground. It was torn to shreds, mowing down lines of trees along with it.

Meanwhile, Newton, Ash, and Dawn made it safely to the ground and jumped off the hoverboard, rushing to the shore of the lake. Brock stood beside them. "Look at that," he said. Giratina limply crawled out of the lake, hanging its head in exhaustion. Its black, tattered wings were plastered fast to its body. Once its dripping body reached the shore, it let out a pained roar as it toppled over, sending tremors through the earth.

The team stared at the giant, unconscious Pokemon in silence. "It`s not moving," Ash piped up. Dawn covered her mouth in shock. "We must be too late!" she gasped. Shaymin pranced over to Giratina, hovering above its body. "Giratina, you must pull through!" it begged.

Shaymin perched itself on Giratina`s side and pressed down its paws. Its own body started to shine, and a bright, soft green light swept over the area. "That`s Aromatherapy," Newton said. "It`s one of Shaymin`s powers."

In a sudden flash, the light faded, and Shaymin pulled itself up, taking a huge breath. The Pokemon flew off Giratina as a ripple of movement pulsed over its body, and it slowly staggered to its feet. It let out a booming roar, as if it was yawning.

The team`s eyes lit up. Smiles instantly flashed on their faces. Shaymin gasped and ducked behind Dawn, trembling with fear. Ash smiled and called, "Hey, Giratina! It`s Shaymin who made you feel better!" Giratina`s eyes piqued with interest. Shaymin reluctantly floated out from its hiding spot and pranced up to eye level with the massive Pokemon. "I`m glad you`re feeling better," it chirped.

"Shaymin and Giratina finally understand each other," Dawn said. She and the others turned around, and herds of Furret, Stantler, Ursaring, and Senret emerged from the treeline. "It seems the Pokemon know just how important the Reverse World is as well," Newton commented.

A storm of bubbles popped up from the lake ahead, and a giant spray of water was ejected into the air as a massive, sleek ship surfaced from the water, hovering over its surface. Two long metal arms with jutting points were attached to its sides, and the middle hub was a sharp, steel-covered chamber decorated in red, black, and gold metal. It oddly appeared to have the likeness of Giratina.

"Is that Zero?!" Ash gaped. A wave of dread swept over Newton. He nodded regretfully. "That is the Megarig`s mother weapon," he explained. "Its firepower comes from Giratina`s energy. The Megarig was simply a collection system. It is...the Mecha Giratina!"

Deep inside the ship, Zero sat nestled in a small, cramped chamber, surrounded by ticking, clicking mechanisms, flickering computer screens, and holograms of Infi. Hot anger boiled inside of him. "I don`t care what they think they`ve done," he growled. "No one gets in my way!" He jabbed a button on the control panel, and a gaping ball of blue flame erupted from the golden, pointed head of the Mecha Giratina. It flew out across the lake.

Giratina roared and spun around, spitting out its own burst of azure fire. The two attacks collided and exploded in a blast of cyan-colored, billowing smoke.

The Mecha Giratina suddenly shot up into the air, soaring across the skies and casting a shadow over the field below. A funnel of whirling air shot out from the ship and collided with a glacier hanging on the other side of the lake, tearing open a swirling black hole. Zero flew inside, vanishing from sight as it and the portal faded from existence.

"Where`d he go?!" Ash hissed. "He went to the Reverse World!" Newton shouted. "Now Zero`s attained all of Giratina`s powers!"

At the same time, Zero soared through the Reverse World, weaving past the masses of hovering islands dotting the landscape. He skidded to a halt and glared at one of the crystalline orbs floating about. The reflections of Ash and the rest of the team were mirrored in its shiny surface. "Look at you all, in your pathetic, filthy little world!" Zero cackled, an insane smile plastered on his face. "Disappear, all of you!"

A long, glowing rod of energy materialized at the bottom of the huge craft. It swept across the sky, colliding with the orb and shattering it to bits.

Back in the Real World, a strong wave of energy burst from seemingly nowhere, sweeping the team off their feet. Ash groaned in pain and yelled, "What was that!?" Newton staggered to his feet. "Zero must be attacking us from the Reverse World!"

Giratina let out a shaking roar and flapped its wings, propelling itself into the air. It spit a gaping funnel of air from its mouth, and the same churning black vortex appeared. It became drenched in purple light as it flew inside and disappeared from sight.

Ash`s hands balled into fists, and he rushed onto Zero`s hoverboard, gripping the handles with his sweaty palms. Pikachu quickly joined him, leaping onto his shoulder.

"Ash, are you nuts?!" Brock shouted. "Be careful!" Dawn called. "Wait for me!" Shaymin yelled. It jumped into the sky and flew beside Ash and Pikachu. "I`m coming with you!" Ash smiled. "Thanks, Shaymin!" The two soared into the portal together, and the hole sealed up behind them once again, this time, possibly for good. 


	5. Chapter 5: The Oncoming Glacier

Chapter Five: The Oncoming Glacier

"I`ll show you the true power of the Reverse World!" Zero roared. He pulled back hard on one of the ship`s levers, and the Mecha Giratina was sent soaring across the dark skies. The same long, jutting light rod flipped out from the bottom of the metal monstrosity. Zero turned sharply, and the thin rod sliced through a line of huge, shimmering ice pillars, shattering them into a storm of glittering shards.

Inside Zero`s ship, an image of the glacier back in the Real World flashed on-screen. Massive chunks of ice were being thrust upwards, and the entire thing appeared to be moving, gliding across the lake. "The glacier has lost its support in the Reverse World and has begun moving," Infi explained. Zero sneered in pleasure. "Perfect!"

Suddenly, something hit the ship like a wall, sending a tremble through its metal shell. Zero`s bright eyes flashed, and he turned to another screen to see Giratina glaring at him with an icy gaze. It let out a screech and spit a gaping ball of flame from its wide-open jaws. The fireball slammed Zero`s ship, and it shook all over like an earthquake.

Zero gritted his teeth in anger, until a distant, tinny voice grabbed his interest. Ash and Pikachu floated over him on his own hovercraft with Turtwig and Chimchar perched next to him. Shaymin stood beside them as well. "Stop destroying this place, Zero!" Ash shouted. "You must end this!" Shaymin added. Zero sighed deeply. "Why, you just don`t understand...I`m protecting this place!" He pulled a switch on the control panel, and a churning ball of flames burst out and slammed Giratina in the chest. The huge Pokemon was sent flying, smashing into an ice pillar.

Zero sneered at it evilly. "All of your powers now belong to me!" he snarled. He fired off another fireball, but this time, Giratina was faster. It sped away, and a plume of smoke erupted into the air as it collided with the column of ice.

While Ash and his Pokemon watched the spectacle, Giratina and Zero sent off their flame blasts at the same time. The two attacks collided in a huge burst of light.

Meanwhile, back in the Real World, Ash`s friends were staring in horror at the towering wall of ice heading right for them. Dawn threw out two Poke Balls. A Buneary and a Swinub broke free. "Buneary, Ice Beam!" she commanded. "Swinub, Ice Shard!"

The two little Pokemon nodded, firing blasts of ice at the lake. Herds of wild Pokemon stood by the treeline and began spitting their own crackling, freezing beams of energy, glazing the lake with a huge sheet of thick ice.

As they looked on, the glacier simply plowed through the icy wall, crushing it to glimmering bits as it crept along. "It`s no use, it`s not stopping!" Brock shouted.

Dawn turned to look at the sprawling field of Gracidea flowers. "If this keeps up, it`ll crush the flower garden!" Newton shook his head. "That`s not all that`ll be crushed," he said. He gestured to a series of tiny, quaint villages deep down in the valley below them. "All the villages and towns up ahead...they`re doomed to be destroyed!"

Then, the ground began to tremble, as if there were an earthquake. As the team looked over the hills, a huge herd of Mamoswine poured over the cliffs, followed by a gigantic Regigias stomping over the countryside. "That`s Regigias!" Newton gaped. "It must live here in the valley!"

The Mamoswine and Regigigas plowed over the ice-covered lake, pushing against the creeping glacier. Their feet scraped across the ice as the wall of freezing rock pushed on them even harder. Regigigas shoved back, and a pulse of energy emanated from its hands, sweeping over the glacier`s jagged surface.

"Can they really hold it back?" Brock asked. "You can do it, Regigigas!" Dawn cheered.

Back in the Reverse World, Zero blasted Giratina`s face with a swirling fireball. The creature roared in pain and crashed down to an island below. The shock of the impact sent huge chunks of ice slamming down, pinning Giratina into the earth. It flailed about and screeched in pain.

Ash`s eyes widened. "Giratina, no!" he shouted. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Turtwig, Energy Ball! Chimchar, Flamethrower!" Shaymin fired off its own Energy Ball as well, and all four bursts of energy slammed into the Mecha Giratina. The ship pulled up and soared past them.

Zero`s mind quickly boiled with rage. "Out of my way!" he hissed. He spun the ship around, colliding with Ash`s hoverboard. Ash gasped as he and his Pokemon flew off and crashed onto the wide wing of the craft, while the hoverboard slid off and plummeted down to the black, endless abyss below.

Ash pulled it together and scrabbled to his feet. Pikachu, Turtwig, and Chimchar stood around him. "You all okay?" he asked. The trio of Pokemon nodded in reply. A mechanical whirring sound echoed out as a swarm of metal claws emerged from the back of the ship, hanging on long, snake-like arms.

Pikachu whirled out of their path, but Turtwig and Chimchar were snared in their grip. Ash and Pikachu dashed over to the front, and a pair of snapping claws came flying at them. Pikachu loosed a crackling bolt of electricity, shattering one of the claws to pieces. The other one came roaring right for Ash. A stray Energy Ball flew out of nowhere and smashed it to bits. Shaymin flew down to greet the two. "Hey, Shaymin!" Ash cheered. "A simple 'thank you' will suffice," Shaymin commented.

Ash turned back and glanced at his remaining two Pokemon, struggling in the claws` grip. He pulled out his Poke Balls. "Turtwig, Chimchar, return!" he called. Red beams of light shot out at the Pokemon, and they vanished from sight as the crimson light was pulled back into the balls.

In front of Ash, Shaymin, and Pikachu, a huge metal panel slid open before them, revealing Zero nestled deep in an array of holograms, control panels, and flickering screens. He sneered at them with gleaming eyes. "Zero!" Ash snapped. "You have to stop this now! You can`t just keep destroying this place!"

"If anything`s destroying this place, it`s the Real World!" Zero hissed. He nodded over to a billowing cloud of purple smoke creeping toward them. "Look at that toxic cloud!" he snarled. "Can`t you see this beautful world is constantly being polluted?! So can`t you see I`m protecting it!?"

The panel slid back down, concealing Zero behind it. "No!" Ash shouted. "The Real and Reverse Worlds protect each other!" His lungs burned as he took a huge gulp of smoke. The thick layer of haze was hanging right over him and Pikachu.

Shaymin swooped down from the sky. "Ash, I`ll take care of this!" The Pokemon clenched its body tight. Streams of smoke were sucked into its body, and as the haze began to shrink, the red, leafy scarf around Shaymin`s neck started to grow black. An idea popped into Ash`s head. "Shaymin!" he shouted. "You`ve gotta use your Seed Flare and knock Zero out of here!"

"Leave it to me!" Shaymin cheered. "Oh, really?" Zero hissed. "Your turn to be knocked!" He pulled a lever back, and hot streams of jet blasts burst from the ship`s exhaust. Ash gripped a metal bar, expecting for the craft to take off into the sky, but instead, it just stalled.

He glanced down, and Giratina had wriggled its way out of the ice, gripping the long rod of Zero`s ship with the six golden ribs protruding from the sides of its chest. It roared in triumph.

Zero`s heart slammed hard in his chest. He clenched his teeth and pulled back on the lever even harder, straining his arms. "I warned you to stay out of my way!" he snarled. Jets of black smoke were sent flying into Giratina`s face, but the Pokemon wasn`t releasing its grasp anytime soon.

"It`s my time now!" Shaymin shouted. It flew up high, glaring down at the Mecha Giratina. It let out a screech as its body began to shine with a blinding, bright green light. Zero`s mind was numb with anger. "Grrrr...I have had enough of you!" he roared.

A spinning ball of flame erupted from the tip of his craft. "Miiin!" Shaymin screeched. It unleashed a burst of intense, searing energy. A swirling hole was torn open in the sky, sucking Shaymin inside. Giratina spit a Will-o-Wisp from its gaping jaws, knocking Zero`s Mecha Giratina free of its grip.

Ash and Pikachu were flung off, screaming in terror as they plummeted to the abyss below. Giratina squirmed free of the ice chunks and pitched itself down, catching Ash underneath it. He gasped as he felt a soft shock under him, and his eyes flashed open. He and Pikachu gripped Giratina`s back, watching intently as Zero`s ship was swallowed into the vortex. Meanwhile, Shaymin popped out back in the Real World. A freezing blast hit its back as its thin, sleek body slid across the glacier. "I`m not that good with the cold!" it shrieked. Its body began to glow with a golden light. Shaymin flew off the edge of the ice, back in its tiny, hedgehog-like Land Form, wriggling its stubby little legs.

"Shaymin!" Dawn called, rushing for the diminutive Pokemon with her arms outstretched. She snatched up Shaymin and held it tight to her chest. "Shaymin, are you okay?" she asked. Shaymin nodded. "Yes, but I was a little scared," it replied. "Where`s Ash and Pikachu?" Brock asked. Shaymin turned its gaze up to the hole in the sky above the glacier. It slowly faded away. "They must still be there!" Shaymin screeched.

Just then, a loud scraping sound echoed out as Zero`s ship crashed down and slid across the ice. The control panels were erupting into sparks, and the holograms were flickering with crackling static. "Systems down, systems down," Infi warned. Zero felt the craft slow to a halt. "Infi, recover data," he commanded. "Unable to recover data," Infi droned on. "All systems down...all systems down..." Her voice slowly fizzled out, until it stopped completely.

Zero was surrounded by utter silence. His heart began to settle. "All of my glorious plans," he sighed. He leaned back in his seat and gave himself a weak smile. "They`re ruined..."

The ship had slammed down in front of the glacier, surrounded by Mamoswine. "Everyone, freeze that!" Dawn shouted. Buneary, Swinub, and the Mamoswine nodded and unleashed crackling beams of ice, freezing the Mecha Giratina in an icy tomb. Back in the Reverse World, Ash and Pikachu soared across the gossamer landscape, perched on Giratina`s head. The serpentine Pokemon weaved around the shattered ice pillars, spinning in circles around them. A layer of sparkling purple dust settled down on them, and the icy columns began to regenerate, growing up into the air until they were finally whole again. "The Reverse World," Ash echoed, "Giratina`s fixing it."

At the same time, Regigigas kept its huge hands glued to the wall of ice, holding fast as it pushed against the collossal Pokemon. Suddenly, the glacier skidded to a halt, and Regigigas released its grip. "Hey, the glacier stopped!" Newton cheered. "And look over there!" Dawn called, pointing over the icy cliff.

A swirling black vortex hung in the air, and the glowing purple figure of Giratina started to emerge. The light faded to reveal Giratina in its Altered Form, with Ash and Pikachu hanging onto its head. "Hello down there!" Ash called.

The giant Pokemon lowered itself to the ground, and Ash leapt off with Pikachu clutched to his shoulder. Dawn and Brock rushed over. "Ash! Pikachu!" Dawn exclaimed. "You`re okay!"

"I`m glad you`re safe," Brock chimed in. "It was all thanks to Giratina," Ash said. As soon as the words left his mouth, Giratina let out a booming roar, and with a single flap of its wings, it propelled itself into the air and soared off into the darkened skies of mid-morning. "Where`s Giratina going?" Ash wondered out loud. Newton swallowed hard. "I wonder if Dialga`s close by."

The team looked over to the field of Gracidea flowers, silhouetted by the rising sun over the hills. The flowers ruffled as other Shaymin skittered through the grass. "Hey, are those your friends?" Dawn asked. Shaymin nodded. "You bet!" It leapt out of Dawn`s arms and landed on a small boulder overlooking the flower garden. It watched as the other little Pokemon began to glow, their bodies morphing as they changed into Sky Form, prancing around in the air.

Shaymin`s body was trembling with sadness. It turned to look at the trio with glinting tears in its eyes. "Ash...Dawn...Brock...thank you, everyone, for everything. I`m grateful to you all." It looked away and jumped into the grass. "This is where we say goodbye."

"Yeah, we know," Ash said. Shaymin dashed into the flowers, its body tingling as it started glowing with gold light once again. Shaymin changed back to Sky Form and bounced into the air, dancing in the sky with its friends. The herd of Shaymin spun in a circle over the flowers, sending up a churning wind.

A storm of pink petals rushed up into the funnel, swirling around like a tornado over the Shaymin. Dawn gasped in wonder. "It`s like a bouquet in the sky." Ash simply nodded and smiled.

The team of Shaymin danced across the wind, lining up like reindeer. "Farewell, my good friends!" Shaymin cheered. The Pokemon flew over the valley of snow-capped mountains, vanishing in the rays of the rising sun. "Make a pretty garden somewhere!" Dawn called, her hands cupped.

Tears welled up in Ash`s eyes. "Shaymin...I hope I get to...see you again." He looked off into the sky and shouted, "And make sure not to get lost!"

The Trainers were then left alone, staring out in silence, as thousands of petals rained down upon them.

The End...  
May 15th, 2015. 


End file.
